Anatomy of a Boyfriend (16 page)

Before I get a chance to tickle anything, Wes whizzes up, seizes my wrists, and throws me down on the bed. Soon we are having sex again, but this time he is moving in and out very, very slowly. We‘re able to go for a full two minutes before I tell him to stop because I‘m too sore down there but that we can try again in the morning.

It‘s three a.m. at this point. We call the concierge and order a ten a.m. wake-up call since checkout‘s at noon. Then we pull the blankets up over us and lie quietly in each other‘s arms.

Our first whole night together.

We‘re about to drift off when Wes holds me tighter and says groggily, ―Just so you know, this has been the best day of my life.‖

And it was mine too.

26

Subject:

Date: Monday, August 19, 6:50 p.m.

Dear Dom,

Just finished my last day at the library. All in all it was a good summer gig, but I can‘t wait to get out of Fort Myers, which feels like a ghost town now that you‘re en route to Tulane. First thing I‘ll unpack in New York is my awesome new cologne! I showed it to my parents this morning, and they love the smell too. I should have thought to get you a going-away gift also, but I‘m bad when it comes to those things. I wish you had something besides a cheap mood ring to remember me by.

Some good news. I talked to the people at student employment today, and they‘re going to let me lifeguard at NYU‘s pool! I‘m relieved I didn‘t end up with a cafeteria job.

Missing you, Wes

Subject:

Date: Tuesday, August 20, 9:46 p.m.

Hey boyfriend,

Greetings from the Big Easy! I just tracked your flight on my laptop, and in only two hours you‘ll be in the Big Apple! A huge part of me wishes I were sitting in the seat next to you, planning and plotting our four-year NYC adventure, but there‘s no need to get into all of that again. This was the most practical, logical decision, and I‘m excited about what‘s next.

I guess you can say I survived the drive over, but being confined for thirteen hours with Mom and Dad in the car was trying. Whenever I got sad, though, all I had to do was hold my mood

ring, which I
love
btw, and I felt better.

Tonight we‘re crashing at a bed-and-breakfast in the French Quarter. I want to stay up until you land, but I better get to sleep since tomorrow we‘re waking up at the crack of dawn to beat the dorm move-in rush. I‘m counting down the days until Thanksgiving break (99) and Xmas break (121). Yuck. Write or call me soon!!!!!!! I love you, Dom P.S. It‘s weird to be e-mailing you again after all these months! But that‘s how it all started, eh?;-)

P.P.S. Congrats on the lifeguard job! I had no idea you were even certified! You see? Even after all this time I‘m still learning new things about you.

Subject: NYU, baby! (note my new e-mail address)

Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2:35 p.m.

Hey Dom,

It‘s great to be back in the City, although I had no idea how much I‘d gotten used to the quiet of Florida. Last night after my grandparents took me back to their loft, I kept waking up to every car alarm and ambulance siren.

Jess and one of her French major friends helped me move in this morning. I brought only four suitcases, so I was unpacked in less than an hour. My roommate, Gerard, is from Ghana (Africa)!

I thought
I
had a long plane ride. He‘s a good guy, plans to major in theater. He saw our prom pic on my desk and said in his Ghanaian accent (which almost sounds French), ―Whoa, she‘s beautiful, man.‖ I told him not to get any ideas.;-)

I‘m going to the campus store now to pick up a few things.

I love you, W

P.S. I‘ll call you tonight after our hall meeting.

Subject: Tulane so far

Date: Thursday, August 22, 9:45 p.m.

Dear Ames,

Forgive the e-mail but I have only a couple hundred minutes left, and I want to use them sparingly until they get replenished Sept. 1.

I can‘t believe we‘re actually in college! It‘s finally happening! My roommate, Caitlin, moved in last night, and not to jinx it, but she seems very sweet and considerate. She even offered to stay with Chapin, her boyfriend of FOUR YEARS and a junior here, whenever Wes visits!

Chapin is six five, and Caitlin‘s only five feet, so they‘re a funny-looking couple, but they‘re really into each other. He plays cello and she plays viola, and they met in orchestra at their high school in Baton Rouge.

As for Tulane itself, I‘m feeling good. I‘m a little envious of Caitlin for having her bf with her, but I‘m also afraid Tulane will just be a continuation of high school for her rather than a new experience. Don‘t get me wrong. I‘m thinking about Wes 24/7. Most of all, I‘m still really humiliated about how I screwed up on Sunday at Captiva. My head was literally down there, Ames. I was hovering over it, but for some reason I just couldn‘t bring myself to take it in my mouth. What‘s crazy is that it should have been a breeze. I mean, we‘ve made love 32 times since prom! I know Wes said it was fine I wasn‘t ready yet, but it was our last night together, and I wanted everything to be perfect.

On top of everything, Wes already saw the dog-girl, and he‘s going to be a campus lifeguard! I spent all summer paranoid about the Southwest Florida College girls flirting with him at the library, and now I hate the NYU swim team and am wishing dog-girl drops out of Columbia and goes back to Texas. I feel so weird hating someone I‘ve never even met before. Oh, and my parents gave me the trillionth ―You‘re too young to be serious so keep your eyes open and embrace your surroundings‖ speech. Ugh!

I don‘t mean to sound sad, it‘s just Wes Withdrawal. Besides that I‘m really pumped. Anyway, how‘s New England treating you? Any new notches on your bedpost? Or should I say cotpost?

I miss you very much, Dom

Subject: Thank you for your help!

Date: Friday, August 23, 2:44 p.m.

Dear Mom (please read to Dad too),

I just wanted to write and thank you both for helping me move in, you esp., Dad, for taking off work. You‘ll be glad to know I registered for bio and chem today. I‘m determined to give premed a fair shot even though I‘m still on the fence about it. If it doesn‘t work out, I‘ll just major in something fun, like glass blowing with a minor in ballroom dance. Just kidding! But they really do offer those classes here!

I‘ve met a ton of new people in the last couple of days. Overall everyone‘s really nice, except there‘s this one spoiled brat on my hall who‘s never used a washing machine before(!!), let alone

a communal one, and she‘s disgusted she has to share a hall bathroom with us. Four other girls on my hall already requested roommate changes! People can be so catty.

Anyway, I have yet another orientation meeting to go to, so I better get going. Say hi to Grandma too. I‘ll call her when I‘m a little more settled in. Talk to you soon.

Love, Dom

Subject: WE’RE COLLEGE GIRLS NOW!!!

Date: Friday, August 23, 3:15 p.m.

Dear Dom,

I‘m writing this from Amherst‘s fine arts building. I just found out we‘re gonna have nude male models in our drawing class! To quote Little Orphan Annie, I think I‘m gonna like it here.

That‘s hilarious about Chapin and Caitlin‘s height difference. I wonder how they 69. My roommate, Soo May, seems really nice too and plans to major in computer science. She‘s lived in Massachusetts all her life, but her family‘s Malaysian.

I wouldn‘t worry about Gersh being a lifeguard. I‘m sure he‘ll take the job just as seriously as he did track and won‘t goof around. If you‘re still concerned, send a letter to the NYU swim team saying Gersh has a New Orleans girlfriend who‘s learning voodoo and is not afraid to use it! But seriously, you spent all of April doing the pro-con thing with both schools, and I still think you made the right decision.

I also wouldn‘t worry about the non–blow job. Believe me, it could‘ve been A LOT worse. The first time I went down on a guy I was *too* into it and almost bit it off! What I *would* be worried about is your non–Big O. It‘s just not fair he‘s the only one who‘s been getting off. I know your excuse—―just loving Wes is orgasm enough.‖ Well, whatever makes you happy, but you can‘t be afraid to lose control and let your body go.

But on to the big news of the week: I‘ve hooked up with only 1 guy so far! Joel lives in my dorm, he‘s going to be a fine arts major too, his bod‘s totally ripped, and he‘s from Kansas, which makes sense since he can do the tornado with his tongue. :P~ Last night we hardly hooked up at all! We just talked and talked. I never thought I‘d be pairing off with someone this soon in this buffet of Amherst guys, but I really like him. Maybe soon we‘ll both be nonvirgins!

Your best friend always who misses you terribly, Amy

Subject: Miss you